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It would be an understatement to say that since Poppy and Ada came along, a lot has changed. The girls are 15 & 16 months old now (I know, what) and, until a few weeks ago, in that time I (Jo) could count on one finger the amount of haircuts I had managed to have. It’s really not easy to find any baby-free time during the week and at the weekends we would much rather be hanging out with the family than disappearing to have our tresses trimmed. It’s tricky.

We were therefore intrigued when an invitation from Number Three hairdressers in Bath appeared in our inbox to come and try out their Mama Club. The idea, they said, was to bring the girls along to the appointment. We’d been a few times to Number Three in the past and loved it but couldn’t imagine how our boisterous toddlers were going to be compatible with their stylish, relaxing salon. The concern only deepened when we rocked up at 11am with two girls who had skipped their morning nap and were ripe for a whinge.

We needn’t have worried. Number Three have really thought this one through and have a whole private floor dedicated to the Mamas. There’s no pressure, no rush, and no need to worry about disturbing anyone as you are neatly tucked away on the top floor. We parked up our prams in the space provided and ascended the stairs!

The top floor is split between two gorgeous rooms with the first containing a kitchen area complete with bottle making and sterlising facilities, as well as what every parent needs, coffee on tap. We were then led through to the private salon area, which is perfectly geared up for Mums and their tots. Poppy and Ada were very happy indeed as it had toys, space to run around and biscuits. Lots of biscuits. And we were happy as it had lots of lovely comfy chairs for feeding, coffee and biscuits. Lots of biscuits.

Once the girls were nicely occupied, we robed up and sat in our chairs. For once, it wasn’t awful staring into the hairdresser’s mirror as instead of looking at our sleepy faces, we could instead keep an eye on our two trouble makers. Despite their lack of sleep, they were pretty angelic and it was really, really cute to watch them play. On the occasions they did need us, we were free to go to them without feeling awkward and both girls spent time sitting on our laps during the cut without our stylists batting so much as an eyelid.

It was actually all rather fun and at the end we both had lovely new dos! I just had mine tidied up but Victoria went for a proper chop and looked thoroughly gorgeous as a result. We skipped off for lunch (after saying hello to a very small baby arriving with his Mama for their appointment), agreeing that Number Three have really nailed it. Local Mums have got a real treat in store and we hope word spreads as to how great a service this is.

If you’re local to Bath and fancy checking out Number Three’s Mama Club it’s on every Wednesday and everything you need to know is right here.

So, this is my first attempt at a favourites post. As beauty certainly isn’t my specialist subject, do please bear with me! I thought I’d give it a go as some of the products I’ve been using this month (and over the past few months!) are definitely worth sharing as they have contributed to making me look (slightly) more human on a daily basis.

It’s no secret that Soap and Glory products are amazing. They smell heavenly, they look dishy in your bathroom, and just seem to last forever. I’ve been using their Righteous Butter body butter since January and it isn’t even half empty. It’s easily my favourite Soap and Glory body product for moisturizing, as it’s made my skin feel softer and look smoother than ever.

After using my nifty butter I have to wash my hands, as although they would smell great, they would be so sticky my cat would get stuck to them. To do this I’ve been using English Rose soap* then protecting them with Verbena hand cream* from The Somerset Toiletry Company (support your local businesses Hemsters!). As I have very sensitive skin, I find most hand washes aggravating. So, I’ve recently switched to bars of soap after being told that liquid soaps contain more fragrances and other additives that would make my hands feel sad. No one likes sad phalanges.

I’ve included Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream not because I love it, but because I really want to love it! I’m just struggling to understand how to use it (because I am a wally) and I need your help kind readers. The day I bought it I got over excited and smothered it over my whole face. This was a big mistake as this cream is stickier than a Panini sticker factory. How does it work for you?

The Elemis lip balm which came in my Company Blog awards goody bag. I usually stick to Vaseline on my lips but thought I’d try this out and I’m so glad I did! I put this on one night when my lips were feeling more chapped than usual and when I awoke, they felt silky smooth. It’s a peppermint dream!

My nail polish of choice this month is Ciate and their enormous range of magnificent shades. I really rate the quality of this nail varnish, as I find that it doesn’t chip once applied and seems to lasts a lot longer than other brands. I’ve been loving the four colours below, which are ‘ladylike luxe‘, ‘maybe baby‘, ‘mines a mocha‘ and my personal favourite ‘spinning teacup‘, which I have been wearing constantly and can be seen in the lipstick pictures.

The Witch concealer stick is one of those products that you don’t know that you need until you have one, and then just can’t live without. It’s a quick and easy way of covering up blemishes AND treating your skin at the same time. Winner!

Above we have the Jemma Kidd Lash Xtension Mascara and The Body Shop Shimmer Bauble which I have been using as a shimmery highlighter. After doing a little research for this post, it seems that the baubles were a limited edition piece, but I’d definitely recommend trying to get your hands on one, especially if you take a lot of pictures of your face!

The mascara is very cute and comes with a step by step make-up class from Jemma herself, and I can confirm it does indeed add length to your lashes and stays on all day long. Hemsters, here’s a little secret for you. I actually bought this from The Original Factory Shop as I have recently discovered their make up is SO cheap, but please don’t all rush and clear their shelves, save some for me!

We love a bit of vintage here at She and Hem, so I was predictably hyped to receive this lush ‘Debutante Pink‘ lipstick* from vintage experts Besame. The packaging is pretty ravishing, as is the lovely pink shade you can see above and in this post. Pretty in pink or what!

It has finally arrived! A shower cap that I can wear to keep my hair dry without looking like a doddering old lady in the rain. Not only does this one look cute but it also has a hidden secret! An internal layer of toweling which protects your hair from the humidity and condensation which usually destroys any attempt at pre-shower styling. It really does Save the Blow Dry!

I straightened my hair yesterday so decided to test the cap today to see how well the styling held after a shower. I love a long shower, so I really did put this to the test. I am pleased to report that it was very simple to use, as you would hope! All my hair fit snugly inside, the cap felt comfortable and didn’t push ill-fittingly against my face, which is my issue with the Cath Kidston shower cap that I have been using.

Another perk of Save the Blow Dry which I didn’t know until it arrived was how it has two uses. If you turn the cap inside out, so the toweling is on the outside, you can pop the cap on over a hair treatment. This lets the treatment work more effectively, as well as allowing you to potter around and make a cup of tea while you wait, without leaving a soggy puddle behind!

A slight negative about the Save the Blow Dry cap is that it does take quite a while to dry naturally. The morning after I tested the cap and went to use it again, it was still a little damp. So, I would recommend popping it near a window to speed up the process. Apart from this slight hitch, I think it’s a solid gold invention and would thoroughly recommend it to those of you who just don’t have the time (or the patience!) to style your hair everyday.

Last weekend I had the absolute pleasure of attending my beautiful friend Anna’s hen do! I had been excited about this day for months as Anna is a very creative lady and I knew her hen would be something special – and I was not wrong!

Photo by Joey Beard

It was a bright and early start as we met at Premier Apartments in Bristol city centre. Anna’s ‘angels’ had been busy working their magic as when I arrived at 9am the place was fully decked out with bunting, vintage china, lovely throws and lots of yummy food! It was wonderful to walk in to! After the Bucks Fizz had been duly handed out, it was down to business for the real reason we had all got up so bright and early! Hair!

Anna had booked three girls from the Pop Up Parlour to give our hair a vintage makeover! There was a lot of excitement (and a few nervous giggles) as we worked our way through the look-book the girls had provided. I was finding it very difficult to decide as I have a lot of hair but I am in no way adventurous with it. I don’t tend to wear my hair up, as I don’t think it suits me, but it seemed such a waste to not to go for it! Plus, it was so outrageously warm I was quite keen on the idea of having the barnet up and out of the way!

Photo by Joey BeardPhoto by Joey BeardPhoto by Joey Beard

My vintage look was created by Faye, who as luck would have it, I actually already knew! She went to school with my BFF Ellie and I’ve been lucky enough to have her do my makeup on more than one occasion. This was the first time she had done my hair but she’s incredibly talented and did an absolutely smashing job! I love that she decided to leave a ponytail at the back so that I still had some of the length! I felt like a real vintage princess.

After the hair was completed, it was time for a mosey into town for a glass of bubbly at the Riverstation. My seat gave me the perfect vantage point to take some hair photos! Aren’t they brilliant? The Pop Up Parlour did such an amazing job choosing different styles that would suit everyone.

Photo by Joey Beard

We had been asked in our invitations to wear vintage inspired dresses and, as you can see, we certainly all looked the part! I wore a lovely yellow Lady V London dress which I had bought especially. I had been eyeing it up for some time and this was just the occasion it warranted! I wore it with my, now obligatory, white heart sunglasses, my red Zatchel and my new horse and carriage necklace from Tatty Devine. The lovely orange flower you can see in my hair was provided by the Pop Up Parlour.

After a few token photos with Gromit, it was time to board a boat to Beese’s Tea Gardens! The cruise was absolutely excellent, especially due to the soundtrack of Backstreet Boys and ‘N sync! It may not have fitted the vintage theme but you really haven’t lived until you’ve dressed up in your vintage finery and sung along to Dirty Pop on a river cruise.

Whilst on the boat we were each given a lovely pearl necklace to wear to the tea party that awaited us. Anna’s very talented sister had made them all using necklaces she had picked up from car boot sales and charity shops and then attached pretty ribbons to them. I love mine and will definitely be wearing it again!

Once at Beese’s we were absolutely spoiled with a humongous spread of sandwiches and cream tea. The size of the bowl of cream drew gasps of astonishment when it was brought out! I think we made a lot of the other customers rather jealous with our lovely little bunting filled corner, our veritable feast and, of course, our outrageously glamorous appearance.

Photo by Joey Beard

It was then time for the traditional party games to begin! Anna had the joy of being presented with a ‘vintage tea party’ lucky dip, which each hen had contributed to. Over the course of the day she unearthed treats such as a teapot, milk jugs, a cake stand and beautiful embroidered napkins! There was also an excellent game of Mr & Mrs, in which Anna proved herself to be infuriatingly knowledgeable about her husband to be, and a game of Kiss the Frog! (think Pin the Tail on the Donkey, only with less donkey and more kissing).

As it was such a beautiful day, we ended up staying at Beese’s well into the evening. It’s an absolutely beautiful place, located right next to the river Avon and surrounded by a wooded bank. Founded in 1846, it’s lauded as Bristol’s best kept secret and despite only being about a 15 minute drive away, it certainly feels a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

Photo by Joey BeardPhoto by Joey Beard

It was a truly phenomenal hen do and I feel absolutely honoured to have been a part of it! It can sometimes be a little daunting spending a day with people you don’t know but Anna’s friends were all so friendly and welcoming. We all had a great time and I can’t wait to see them all again at the wedding in a few weeks time! I will no doubt be blogging about that too, as trust me when I say it’s going to be stunning!

Photo by Joey Beard

A big thank you to ‘angel’ Joey Beard who, you may have noticed, has kindly let me use a lot of her photos for the blog post. She’s a very creative lady too! You can check out her website here and I also highly recommend you watch the winning film from The Encounters Festival 2012 0117 Hour Film Challenge, “Wind”, with which both Anna and Joey were involved. It’s brilliant!

It’s that time of year again! The sun is shining and there are suddenly lots of lovely vintage fairs to attend. Luckily, Jo and I both love attending events like these, especially The Bristol Vintage Fair, which is held every year in Bristol, and several other places dotted across the UK. If one pops up where you live, I would certainly recommend grabbing a group of friends and going along. It is such a lovely way to spend an afternoon and you can often find some bonza bargains!

This year the event was held at The Passenger Shed. As you can see above, the venue is enormous, but the fair managed to fill the room with beautiful vintage clothing, accessories and homeware. What I love about the fair is the super sociable and friendly atmosphere which really hits you as soon as you enter. I think this is because this event is not all about the shopping. We spent a lot of our time chatting to stall holders such as Boxed Vintage, SooSoo Vintage and Minimummouse, about their work, outfits and their genuine love of vintage fashion. When we were not schmoozing, we were dancing down the isles to the Harlem Rhythm Cats who were on hand all day, helping to create a real cheery vibe. I apologise now if you overhead me singing along!

Sometimes I find vintage fairs can be quite expensive, and the variety can often be underwhelming, but yesterday I spotted that many stalls had boxes of bargains, suitcases of super steals and racks of reduced pieces. I was able to purchase several treats and have change left over for an afternoon tea and cake at Mabel’s Vintage Tea Party.

Belts, £1!Suitcase of goodies, all at £5!

My friend decided to try out a vintage hair style by the fantastic Vintage Hair Lounge, who let you choose an era, and discuss the styles that they can create to reflect this. My only piece of advice was ‘the bigger the better!’, because I do love a good quiff!

Vintage Hair Lounge.Stylists working their vintage magic.

The dress I wore was actually purchased at last years vintage fair, and I can see myself wearing it for many years to come. I teamed it with a brown vintage leather shoulder bag, a beautiful vintage brooch that once belonged to my grandmother, a belt from Dorothy Perkins and floral hair clip from H&M. This look was suitable both for the fair, and then for dinner and drinks in the sunshine at the Arnolfini on Bristol harbourside later that evening.

My lovely friend Jess, who often helps with my photographs for the blog, wore a pretty New Look dress, and like me, cannot wait to head to the next vintage fair. Next time I think I’ll try out a vintage do too!